Device for deflating inner tubes



Q- AI DEVICE FOR DEFLATING INNER TUBES- APPLI CATION FILED MAY 18. I920. Patented Dec.12,1922

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17. n/aurzfi Q. 'A. WALKER. DEVICE FOR DEFLATING IN NE R TUBES.

APPucAnbu FILED MAY 18,1920.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Qm iQ v Zlmnto'z I Q. H WA KER Patented Dec. 12, 1922..

UNITED QUINCY A. WALKER, 0F CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

DEVICE FOR DEFLATING' INNER TUBES.

Application filed May 18, 1920. Serial No. 382,355.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, QUINCY A. VVALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Devices for Defiating Inner Tubes; and I do hereby declare 'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for defiating the inner tubes of pneumatic tires, and aims to provide a novel and improved device of that kind, in-order to conveniently and automatically deflate the inner tube, such as for the purpose of wrapping same up for storage, or the like.

It usually requires more or less time and labor to deflate an inner tube, owing to the difiiculty in forcing theiair out of the tube through the valve stem, whereas the present device is designed to receive the inflated tube and to automatically expel the air therefrom, without requiring the continued attention of the operator, thereby saving time and work. I

Another object is the. provision of such a device having novel means for receiving and holding the tube for 'windingit up, in order to deflate the tube.

A further object is the provision of such a device having spring-actuated means for expelling the air from the tube when applied to the device, so that the'spring means when wound up will automatically deflate the tube, without the attention of the operator, so that it is only necessary for the operator to wind up the spring means, apply the tube and subsequently remove the tube.

It is also the object of the invention to provide such a device which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, as well as being thoroughly practical and eflicient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The. invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where1n:-

Figure 1 is a front view of the device which, as shown, is a vertical plate? that can be suitably secured to a support, so as to upstand therefrom. A pin or finger 8 projects forwardly from the plate 7, for assisting in pinching and guiding the tube 9 when applied and being wound up. In order to guide andpinch the tube, a leverlO is pivoted to said plate, being formed of a rod, as shown, and having a doubled portion and loop 11 between its ends mounted on a pivot 12 carried by theplate 7. The lever 10 has a handle 13at its outer end, and at its inner end has a finger or pin 14 extending forwardly from the'plate 'I and movable toward and away from the finger 8 to pinch or compress the tube, which isplaced between the fingers 8 and 1%. A coiled contractile spring 16 connects the inner arm of the lever to the plate 7, said spring being anchored to the plate, as at 17, whereby to swing the lever for moving the finger 14 adjacent to the finger 8. This will yieldingly pinch or compress thetube, and the finger 14 can be moved away from the finger 8by swinging the handle 13.

The device includes means for winding up the tube, and for this purpose a spring housing 18 is riveted or otherwise secured to the plate 7 in rear thereof, and at the upper end of said plate, and a shaft or arbor 19 is journaled through said housing. A U-shaped reel member 20 has its intermediate portion secured to the forward end of the shaft 19, with its arms free and projecting forwardly similar to the fingers 8 and 14, and the terminals 20 of said member 20 are bent at an angle away from one another for retaining the tubeon the member 20 when wound thereon, with the tube slipped over one arm of said member, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1. A spiral spring 21, such as commonly used in clocks, is disposed within the housing 18, one end being secured to the housing and the other to the shaft 19, and a crank 22 is secured to the rear end of said shaft, for winding up the spring.

A latch is carried by the plate for bolding the crank 22 when the spring is wound up, and this latch comprises a rod 23 mounted for rocking movement in bearings 2% secured to the rear side of the plate 7, with a latch finger 25 extending at angle from one end of said rod, and a finger piece or handle 2-6 extending at an angle from the other end. The latch finger can ordinarily be swung against the plate 7 out of the way, and when the crank is rotated to wind up the spring, the latch finger 25 is swung by means of a finger piece or handle to a position behind the crank 22 and in the path of movement thereof, as seen in Fig. 3, thereby preventing the spring from unwindin in using the device, the spring is wound up by means of the crank 22, and the crank is then latched, preventing the spring from unwinding. The tube is placed within the reel member and over one arm thereof, as seen in Fig. l, and is then placed between the fingers S and 14, the finger 14 having ved out of the way by means: of the lever 10. Said lever is then released so that the spring 16 brings the finger 14 against the tube thereby holding the tube in place and pinching or compressing it between the lingers 8 and 14. Then, by releasing the latch, the spring 21 comes into play forro tat-ing the reel member (clockwise as seen in Figs. 1 and2), so as to wind up the tube. Due'to the restricted outlet of air through the valve stem, it usually requiressome time for the discharge of air, and as the tube winds upon thereel member, it is gradually flattened out, as seen in Fig. 2. The spring, however, continues to apply tension to the reel member thereby to draw and compress the tube between the fingers 8 and 14C and between the finger 8 and reel member and wind the tube on. said member, and expel the air gradually through the valve" stem (not shown), the valve of which has been opened for the outlet of air. Thus, when the tube is applied and the crank released, the spring will slowly wind up the tube, thereby expelling the air, until the tube is com pletely wound up, as seen in Fig. 4. It can then be removed, by swinging the lever 10 to release the tube, and slipping the tube off of the finger S. This enables the tube to be taken from the reel member easily, and the tube will be flat so that it can be folded easily, or rolled up for storage, packing, or the like.

The advan ages of the device residesin 1. A device for deflating pneumatic tubes comprising a frame, a reel member carried by the frame for the engagement of a pneumatic tube to wind same thereon, a finger carried by the frame past which the tube is movable when being wound on the reel, and tube-pinching means carried by the frame and having finger movable toward and cooperable with the aforesaid finger to pinch the tube. I i

A device for deflating pneumatic tubes comprising a frame, a reel member carried by the frame having free arms projecting away from the frame for receiving. and winding up a pneumatic tube, and tubepinching means carried by the frame including fingers projecting away from the frame similarly to said arms and adapted to be separated for placing the tube between them and to move together to compress the tube while being wound on the reel member.

3. A device for deflating pneumatic tubes 1 ising a frame, a forwardly extending ling 1' carried thereby, a tube-pinching means carried by the frame and having a forwardly extending finger cooperable with foresaid finger to pinch the tube, a shaft carried by the frame, and a U-shaped reel member for winding up the tube carried by the shaft having its arms projecting forwardly, the terminals of said arms extending away from one another.

4:. A device for deflating pneumatic tubes comprising a reel member for the engagement of a pneumatic tube to wind same thereon, and mea spaced from and independent of said reel member for pinching the tube and guiding the tube before being wound on said reel member.-

5. A device for deflating pneumatic tubes comprising a frame, a reel member carried by the frame for the engagement of a pneu-' matic tube to wind same thereon, a member carried by the frame near but spaced from the reel member for the movc ment of one portion of the tube between said reel and secondnamzd members, and means cooperable with the secondnamed member for pinching the other portion of the tube be tween said means and member.

in testimony whereof I have signed. my name to this specification.

QUINCY A. WALKER. 

